Bristol Old Vic strengthens its on-screen offer with three new announcements; the live broadcast of its latest production Anna Karenina, an exclusive On Demand partnership with Complicité and the theatre's first screen presentation to be released on BBC Four and iPlayer.

Bristol Old Vic’s and Royal Lyceum Edinburgh’s 4-star co-production Anna Karenina will get the live broadcast treatment when the production transfers to Bristol in June. Audiences will be able to view the production from 22-24 June, including a matinee broadcast on the final day. Currently running at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, Lesley Hart’s boldly theatrical adaptation of Tolstoy's masterpiece brings the language bang up to date, while Polina Kalinina’s direction sweeps you up in the breathtaking pace of the story and places no limits on opulence, decadence and, above all, passion.

Also announced is the On Demand version of Complicité's Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead, Simon McBurney’s incredible staging of Olga Tokarczuk’s acclaimed novel, which will be available to rent for 48 hours to watch anywhere in the world at a time that suits you, from 12 June. The production has been enthralling audiences and critics alike since it opened at Bristol Old Vic in early 2023. And now, Bristol Old Vic On Screen brings you this exclusive On Demand production, filmed live in front of an audience and featuring the production's original cast including Kathryn Hunter as Janina.

Completing the line-up, Bristol Old Vic have also announced that their production of Hamlet will be broadcast on BBC Four and iPlayer later this year, following its first nationwide cinema release in association with Altitude Films in April. Starring Billy Howle as Hamlet and Niamh Cusack as Gertrude, this bold, contemporary adaptation opened up Shakespeare’s most well-known play to a whole new generation with its visceral, filmic quality. Now, thanks to the partnership with the BBC, Bristol Old Vic are able to continue sharing this experience with audiences across the UK.

Artistic Director Nancy Medina said: “It’s our mission to widen access to the theatre we present on stage here in Bristol. Through partnerships we’re able to grow our distribution methods which helps to enrich and ensure our reach and engagement with new audiences. I’m delighted that our partnerships with Complicité and Royal Lyceum have been so fruitful and thrilled to welcome the opportunity of sharing Hamlet with audiences across the BBC.”  

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